Flour question...

At home, I only use all purpose flour because its so much easier for me to find in bulk but I really can't make good bread with it due to the lower protein content. I remember in class that we can lower the protein content by adding corn starch but how do you get the opposite effect, increase the protein content of a flour? I'm sure I could just go out and buy a package of bread flour but its kind of a waste since I don't use it much and it'll save me money because I can't buy it in bulk. Any help would be much appreciated.

I've never seen mention of a method for 'strengthening' flour... the cornstarch softens the flour because it just thins it out using a flour-type that won't form gluten. But there''s nothing 'extra' you can remove from flour to make it stronger. You can buy powdered gluten in some places, and it's the only solution I know of for strengthening a flour.

Yup, you can add gluten to your flour. Have done so when I was playing with the bread machine. King Arthur has it and you can get it from the health food stores too.
forgive me, i am very tired or I would tell you the name of the product... they can help you at kingarthur.com

Vital Gluten, you can add a table spoon per pound or cup of ap. check it out and see what you come up with.
also, ask a local bakery if you can buy hi gluten or bread flour or patent flour by the pound. they might say yes!:chef:

True you can add vital wheat gluten to AP flour and improve the breads made with it. Here's my question. Is it any less wastefull, shelf space considerations not withstanding, to have the package of vital wheat gluten on your shelf than to have the bread flour in your pantry?

ahh weedhopper, you grasp the concept of flour. and if you have the flour in your posetion, you will bake and bake you will.............
A dear friend is taking a sur la table course with bread man Peter Reinherdt, I only hear good of the bread man.